New research shows successful ALS treatment could be worth billions

The Office of Health Economics (OHE), supported by Challenge Works, has published new research estimating that a successful treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) could generate up to $143bn in value over the next decade, while significantly improving patient quality of life.

Amanda Cole, Director at the OHE said: “The burden of ALS is particularly stark when expressed in terms of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) lost. In the UK, an individual diagnosed with ALS may lose (on average) 12.6 QALYs over their lifetime. Furthermore, ALS patients require intensive care, placing huge strain on healthcare systems, as well as families and support networks. The value of an effective treatment would be significant, and lifechanging for those living with the disease.”

ALS, one of the most common forms of motor neurone disease (MND), is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder that damages nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This disruption prevents signals from reaching muscles, leading to their degeneration. As the disease advances, patients progressively lose the ability to move, speak, eat, drink and, eventually, breathe – resulting in profound impacts on quality of life.

Currently, there is no cure for ALS, and progress in diagnostics and treatment has been limited. Managing the disease places a substantial financial burden on healthcare systems, with annual costs estimated at £133m in the UK and $2.5bn in the US. When including broader societal costs such as caregiving and lost productivity, these figures could triple, according to the OHE report.

The analysis estimates that an effective ALS treatment could deliver commercial value over ten years of $26bn to 40bn in the US, $1.7bn in the UK, and $1.1bn to 4bn collectively across Australia, Canada, France, Germany and Italy.

To help stimulate innovation in this area, the Longitude Prize on ALS was launched in June 2025, offering a £7.5m incentive for the development of AI-powered approaches to accelerate drug discovery for ALS treatments.

Principally funded by the Motor Neurone Disease Association and delivered by Challenge Works, the prize is open to multidisciplinary teams across the pharma and healthcare sectors. Entries will be assessed on their potential to identify and validate drug targets, deepen disease understanding, and support translation into viable therapies.

Tris Dyson, Managing Director at Challenge Works: “For too long, ALS has been an area of high risk and low investment, but things are changing. Advances in AI, combined with better understanding of the disease and higher volumes of patient data, mean that we find ourselves at a turning point for uncovering potential new treatment pathways. OHE’s research quantifies the significant value this would bring to individuals and societies, and we hope the Longitude Prize on ALS will mark a step towards discovering new treatments, and edge us ever closer to a cure.”

Vishal Gulati, Founder and Managing Partner, Recode Ventures and Longitude Prize on ALS judge, said: “ALS offers biopharmaceutical companies strategic convergence where urgent unmet need meets compelling commercial opportunity. Investing here makes strategic sense: rapid disease progression enables shorter, more cost-effective trials; approved treatments have seen fast uptake; platform trials allow multiple drugs to be tested efficiently; and orphan status accelerates regulatory approval. Crucially, ALS also acts as a proof-of-concept for technologies that could be applied to other neurodegenerative diseases, unlocking further opportunities. Breakthroughs are urgently needed, and OHE’s research makes a strong case for investing in this area.”